Luxon Beacon
A is a sacred relic from the Xhorhasian Empire. One of these very powerful magic items had been allegedly stolen by wizards from the Dwendalian Empire and was in the care of the Soltryce Academy in Zadash . 'Description' This cannonball-sized dodecahedron had golden handles on two sides, and emitted a dull undulating grey glow . When Caleb cast Identify on the object, he found the magic contained within was alien and of a level of understanding outside of what the spell could provide. As he focused deeper on it, his brain began to open up into another space of what seemed to be an expanse of an endless infinity of nothingness . When he delved further, he gained a "fragment of possibility" that functioned similar to a single Luck Die. Thuron claimed that the Beacons allowed Xhorhasians to live many lifetimes, and those bound to it to be reborn, having their souls and memories retained within the Beacons. Thuron: "The beacon is part of our culture. The beacon allows the rebirth. Molly: The rebirth of what? Thuron: Of our people." "As long as the Beacons remain, me and my people will live more." "The souls continue. With each rebirth, the memories retain." "We live. We worship. We learn. We die. We are reborn until we are perfect." 'Abilities' "The dodecahedron of gray faintly glowing crystal is heavier than it appears. A set of handles are affixed to the sides and it undulates to the touch. If a hand is placed on the artifact and is concentrated on for one minute, the bearer is granted a Fragment of Possibility. A Fragment lasts for eight hours or until used. A Fragment cannot be granted again until the next dawn. After a creature with a Fragment of Possibility makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw they can expend their Fragment to roll an additional d20 and choose which of the rolls is used for the attack roll. You can also use this feature to affect another creature. So for instance if a creature attacks the bearer, the bearer can use the Fragment to reroll the attack roll of the creature."(As shown in Lost Treasures | Critical Role | Campaign 2, Episode 22 | 1:45:48) 'History' ' ' Thuron stole the Beacon from the Hall of Erudition in Zadash as part of a detailed plan from the Empress of Xhorhas, Leylas Krynn . It was taken from him when he was killed by the Crownsguard in the Sewers . While the Crownsguard were carrying it off towards the King's Hall, Caleb disguised as a crownsguard, lied and used the friends ''spell to carry the Beacon off on his own . Nott aided his efforts having created an illusory version of it further off, which she made look to disintegrate in midair. With their efforts combined they managed to steal the Beacon . |artist=Megzilla87|source=https://twitter.com/Megzilla87/status/985421760882446336}}]] When Caleb slept in proximity of the Beacon he had a peaceful dream. In this dream a welcoming soft hum and grayish, familiar light pulled him forward through stars of a distant night sky. He saw beacons of light coast by, and a dark sphere before him. After a flash of light, he stood holding the Beacon in his hands. After looking into if for a moment, he then looked ahead, and saw himself, in endless rows. All slightly different to himself, they each began walking in different directions. Looking down again at the object and back up again they were all gone, Though he saw a distant flame flicker. Once more looking at Beacon again and the more he tried to understand its ancientness and scale, being both too large and too small, the more it felt himself walking different paths all at once. Both scary and comforting to him, he looked up at the stars; and saw that they had topped passing by. And in that place for the first time in a long time, he felt at peace, as the dream ended. The Mighty Nein later bought a lead-lined box to hide the beacon within. They stashed it inside Jester's haversack. ' ' With the supervision of Nott and Jester, Caleb spent time gazing into the depths of the Beacon he attempted to reveal the Beacon's true nature and if it had any potential uses to the party. As he focused and concentrated on the strange artifact his vision was drawn towards it until, although he'd not physically have moved, he felt as though his body was leaning forward until suddenly his felt his consciousness within the dodecahedron. Similarly to when he had previously entered the item's depths, he saw darkness... and then starlight around him. He watched amorphous, cloud-like shapes and forms of purples and blues, that drifted by on a scale that he he could not comprehend. He saw darkened spheres and objects passing him as he drifted into nothing, into a void with distant dots of light and sparkles. Reaching this void threshold, his heart racing, he choose to go further ahead in than where he had stopped at previously. Continuing deeper the speed increased, the back of his neck grew warm, and his hair begin to stand up. While he could not see, he felt his own body's presence-- unmoving, though also moving quickly in a conflict of sensation that caused his heart to race and his breathing to increase. Seeing a faint gray glow approach and stop before him as his speed came to a slow crawl, he halted. There before him was a tiny, little mote of gray, pulsing light; a similar undulating hearbeat-like pulse as the dodecahedron itself but a foot before him. Calling out, without reply Caleb asked it "Do you know if it's achievable?" He Sensed nothing familiar to this alien object of... immediacy... of eternity; it was an ancient concept of possibility. As he asked these questions and began to contemplate, the loop of his thought process began to cycle on itself, and he had to shake his head not to be lost in an infinity that threatened to suddenly disperse him. Still, there was a tiny, gray thing before him, and "it" seemed to want his contact. Seeing his hands down before him speaking out towards it, "Father and mother-- I hope I do not let you down", he reached out and touched the mote of light. Caleb, feeling the tiny mote come into his hand pulled it into his chest, where he felt a warmth and a sense that for a second, probability had become slightly malleable. In that moment from the outside of the vision, Jester and Nott could see a faint mote of gray drift out of the dodecahedron, and then float, enter and vanishes into the chest of Caleb, at which point, wide-eyed, he had awakened out of his trance-like state. He was unable to ascertain the full truth and power of the object, it being indecipherable on such as scale that his puny, mortal knowledge could not fully achieve ''verstehen, true existential understanding... He had, though discovered that by reaching out to this device that he could pull within himself a "Fragment of Possibility." References Art: Category:Items